Tag Archives: LIFE

Best of 2011: A Feast at Blue Hill at Stone Barns

…And we’re back! My utter lack of computer savvy and a malware scare led to few months hiatus of the blog, but I managed to learn me just enough internets to patch things up. In celebration, I can finally write … Continue reading

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Nothing Says Winter Like Two Tons of Da Baicai (Cabbage)

Nothing else in Beijing declares winter like the arrival of the city’s piles ‘o cabbage. My first year here, I thought snowfall on Old Hallow’s Eve heralded the dreaded Beijing winter; my second, no snow in November, but wretchedly freezing … Continue reading

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Travels in Yunnan: On Eating Flowers

In a debate over what to eat in Yunnan, it’ll always be a tough call. So many glorious options! So little time. On a recent and tragically food-deficient trip to Yunnan, I was denied the chance to stuff my face … Continue reading

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Chinese Lemons (国产柠檬): A 23 Word Recipe for Meyer Lemon Curd

One of the surprising wonders of living here is discovering some things you coveted back home are actually easy to find  in China. I’m not talking about Sichuan peppercorns, or a big bottle of beer for 3 kuai (40ish cents). … Continue reading

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Travels in Burma: The Best of Street Food

Burma. Still quite the land of mystery, with only a smattering of tourists. For those who have been thinking of going, I heartly encourage it. It’s stunning in its beauty, the people unbelievably warm, and there is always the scent … Continue reading

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Travels in Suzhou: Twice-Cooked Egg Crepe (jidan guanbing 鸡蛋灌饼)

As a variation on our beloved theme of the Tianjin-style egg crepe jianbing, I’ll post an ode to jianbing‘s cousin, the jidan guanbing (鸡蛋灌饼), also roughly translated as egg crepe. Both are fantastic for late-night munchies or more traditionally, a … Continue reading

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Suzhou’s Magical Flying Food

Suzhou is famous for being one of the most beautiful towns in China. It’s been called the Venice of the East for it’s graceful canals and gentle lifestyle, and in China, there’s a saying that goes “Heaven above, Hangzhou and … Continue reading

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Eighties Food Magazines: Chinese Cuisine (Zhongguo Pengren 中国烹饪), Food Science (Shipin keji 食品科技)

Are those angry emoticons on shrimp-paste-bellies?  Yes, yes they are. Today there’s a Chinese edition of Food & Wine, now owned by Great Wall Wine, but where would you get your food porn in Reform Era China?  Recently I scavenged … Continue reading

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Beijing Pastry Culture: Daoxiangcun 稻香村

I really miss afternoon snacks.  There used to be something really acceptable about eating a cookie and having a juice in the middle of the afternoon, and really humane about acknowledging that hunger strikes every three hours.  Or two hours.  … Continue reading

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Tsinghua Cafeteria Series: Students

Cafeteria no. 7 at Tsinghua University is incredibly crowded.  The space issue is compounded by the reservation system, which is a fancy way of saying that students stake out seats with a mitten, hat, or notebook.  Walking into the cafeteria … Continue reading

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